St. Brendan (or Brandan - Brandão in Portuguese) was an Irish monk, born about 484 B.C. in Tralee. According to medieval legend, Brendan embarked on a seven-year voyage through the Atlantic in search of the Paradise. The legends recount his amazing adventures, including an encounter with a whale, pictured above, upon whose back he held Easter communion (they thought it was an island!). Brendan and his band of 60 monks eventually discovered a brightly-lit land through which flowed a great river. After wandering the land for 40 days in an unsuccessful search for the farthest shore, they filled their ships with precious gems and returned home. Brendan died soon afterward, but his fabulous island (referred as St. Brendan's Island, Fortunate Islands or even Brazil Island) became a standard feature on maps for the next millenia. The Navigatio Sancti Brendani, which dates from the 11th century, contains the earliest surviving version of this story.
I heard about this Irish saint a while ago and today I'll tell y'all a little bit about his stories! St. Brendan (or Brandan - Brandão in Portuguese) was an Irish monk, born about 484 B.C. in Tralee. According to medieval legend, Brendan embarked on a seven-year voyage through the Atlantic in search of the Paradise. The legends recount his amazing adventures, including an encounter with a whale, pictured above, upon whose back he held Easter communion (they thought it was an island!). Brendan and his band of 60 monks eventually discovered a brightly-lit land through which flowed a great river. After wandering the land for 40 days in an unsuccessful search for the farthest shore, they filled their ships with precious gems and returned home. Brendan died soon afterward, but his fabulous island (referred as St. Brendan's Island, Fortunate Islands or even Brazil Island) became a standard feature on maps for the next millenia. The Navigatio Sancti Brendani, which dates from the 11th century, contains the earliest surviving version of this story. ~Ally
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Remember the other day when I wrote about Vinland? Well, I sort of forgot to say who was responsable for the actual discovery, and that was none other than Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red. Erik's life is told in a very interesting story - The Saga of Erik the Red (duh!), from which I'll put the first chapter here. If you get excited and wish to read the whole story (I haven't finished it yet, so I can't tell you if it's good or not), click here. "Olaf, who was called Olaf the White, was styled a warrior king. He was the son of King Ingjald, the son of Helgi, the son of Olaf, the son of Gudred, the son of Halfdan Whiteleg, king of the Uplands (in Norway). He led a harrying expedition of sea-rovers into the west, and conquered Dublin, in Ireland, and Dublinshire, over which he made himself king. He married Aud the Deep-minded, daughter of Ketil Flatnose, son of Bjorn the Ungartered, a noble man from Norway. Their son was named Thorstein the Red. Olaf fell in battle in Ireland, and then Aud and Thorstein went into the Sudreyjar (the Hebrides). There Thorstein married Thorid, daughter of Eyvind the Easterling, sister of Helgi the Lean; and they had many children. Thorstein became a warrior king, and formed an alliance with Earl Sigurd the Great, son of Eystein the Rattler. They conquered Caithness, Sutherland, Ross, and Moray, and more than half Scotland. Over these Thorstein was king until the Scots plotted against him, and he fell there in battle. Aud was in Caithness when she heard of Thorstein's death. Then she caused a merchant-ship to be secretly built in the wood, and when she was ready, directed her course out into the Orkneys. There she gave in marriage Thorstein the Red's daughter, Gro, who became mother of Grelad, whom Earl Thorfinn, the Skullcleaver, married. Afterwards Aud set out to seek Iceland, having twenty free men in her ship. Aud came to Iceland, and passed the first winter in Bjarnarhofn (Bjornshaven) with her brother Bjorn. Afterwards she occupied all the Dale country between the Dogurdara (day-meal river) and the Skraumuhlaupsa (river of the giantess's leap), and dwelt at Hvamm. She had prayer meetings at Krossholar (Crosshills), where she caused crosses to be erected, for she was baptised and deeply devoted to the faith. There came with her to Iceland many men worthy of honour, who had been taken captive in sea-roving expeditions to the west, and who were called bondmen. One of these was named Vifil; he was a man of high family, and had been taken captive beyond the western main, and was also called a bondman before Aud set him free. And when Aud granted dwellings to her ship's company, Vifil asked why she gave no abode to him like unto the others. Aud replied, "That it was of no moment to him, for," she said, "he would be esteemed in whatever place he was, as one worthy of honour." She gave him Vifilsdalr (Vifilsdale), and he dwelt there and married. His sons were Thorbjorn and Thorgeir, promising men, and they grew up in their father's house." ~Ally
Calcium sulfate, a.k.a. plaster, is the raw material from which our every-school-day chalk is made. It sounds a little obvious when you think about it, but how many of you reeeeeeeeeally knew it? I didn't! Well, first you take that plaster and turn it into a powder with similar texture to wheat flour. Then, you mix it with water, pigments and other substances, making a paste that will dry in cylindrical molds for up to 20 days. Finally, you take'em out of the mold, cut and pack them. Done! I wonder if it's possible to make the inverse process: turning chalk back to plaster. Hummmm... ~Ally
You read it right. Although we are very much accustomed to portrait dogs with "delicious" bones, they can be very bad for our pets' health! Dogs can't chew animal bones very well and, if they ingest tiny bits of it, those pieces can end up perforating their esophagus or intestines. Besides, this type of food also dries the animal's feces, which is also bad for them. If you want to take good care of your dog, give it food that simulates the shape of a bone, but is made with beef - it can stimulate and clean the teeth in young dogs! ~Ally
Apparently, Norse Vikings are the real discoverers of North America, and Vinland was the name given to the area where they arrived in this country. Archaeology has given support to the long-held theory that old Norse sagas show Vikings reached North America c. 1000, approximately five centuries prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbuswhich occurred in 1492. In 1960, archaeological evidence of the only known Norse settlement in North America (outside of Greenland) was found at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of the island of Newfoundland. This proved conclusively the Vikings' pre-Columbian discovery of North America. Recent archaeological studies suggest that this site is not the Vinland of the Norse accounts in its entirety but was the entrance to a larger region called Vinland by those people. Before the archaeologists made their discoveries Vinland was the subject of many stories, legends and fantasies which date to about 1300 AD. The legends have been analyzed to explore how medieval people conceptualized their world. ~Ally
... Along with a lot of other things, of course. But I got to know about this profession today and was completely amazed! It combines two things I'm passionated about since I was a kid: calligraphy (obviously) and drawings (sort of - if you're good at it, life gets a little easier in this field, I believe). A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner" (Mediavilla, 1996). The story of writing is one of aesthetic evolution, basically a combination of the technical skills, transmission speed(s) and material limitations of a person, time and place. A style of writing can be described as a script, hand or alphabet. Modern calligraphy varies from functional hand-lettered inscriptions and designs to fine-art pieces where the abstract expression of the handwritten mark may or may not compromise the legibility of the letters (Mediavilla, 1996). Classical calligraphy differs from typography (another thing I really enjoy) and non-classical hand-lettering, though a calligrapher may create all of these; characters are historically disciplined yet fluid and spontaneous, at the moment of writing. The professional in this field works with many things, like wedding or event invitations, maps, testimonials, original hand-lettered logo designs, and even birth and death certificates! ~Ally
Archaeologists have recently discovered what they believe it's the world's oldest calendar in an Aberdeenshire field, in Scotland. It consists in 12 pits which appear to mimic the phases of the moon and, therefore, tracking lunar months. They also align on the Midwinter sunrise, providing an annual "astronomic correction" in order to better follow the passage of time and changing seasons. The scientists believe it was created about 10,000 years ago (in the Mesolithic Period) by hunters-gatherers, making it thousands of years older than time-measuring monuments in Mesopotamia, previously known by archaeologists as the oldests calendars. ~Ally
I used to think that the traditional English canticle "Scarborough Fair" was about a mythical village, but it isn't the case: Scarborough really exists! It is located in the English county of North Yorkshire, in the coast of the North Sea. During the Middle Age, it was known for being a commercial point, and that is probably why the canticle was composed, though its author is still unknown. Scarborough is also famous for being the birthplace of the actor Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, anyone?) and for being quoted in Virginia Woolf's "Jacob's Room". ~Ally
Sadly, I wasn't able to watch the meteor shower "Perseids", which happened today's dawn. When I went to the window and looked for it, I discovered that several clouds had spoiled the visibility (which was fine earlier). Humpf. The good news is that this meteor shower is an anual event, since Earth always crosses the route of the comet Swift-Tuttle (which these meteors follow). Swift passed close to the Sun for the last time in 1992. The meteor swarm usually has its peak activity around August 12 and 13, but the phenomena can be seen with less intensity starting from the second half of July until the end of August, as soon as the Perseus constellation starts to be visible in the sky. ~Ally
I knew the Disney movie "Mulan" was based on an ancient Chinese legend, but only read about it today. In the poem "Ballad of Mulan" (below), Hua Mulan (not Fa Mulan) takes her aged father's place in the army. She fought for twelve years and gained high merit, but, after the war, she refused any reward and retired to her hometown instead. The historical setting of the legend is uncertain. The earliest accounts state that she lived during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534). "The sound of one sigh after another, As Mulan weaves at the doorway. No sound of the loom and shuttle, Only that of the girl lamenting. Ask her of whom she thinks, Ask her for whom she longs. 'There is no one I think of, There is no one I long for. Last night I saw the army notice, The khan is calling a great draft. A dozen volumes of battle rolls, Each one with my father's name. My father has no grown-up son, And I have no elder brother. I'm willing to buy a horse and saddle, To go to battle in my father's place.' She buys a fine steed at the east market; A saddle and blanket at the west market A bridle at the south market; And a long whip at the north market. She takes leave of her parents at dawn, To camp beside the Yellow River at dusk. No sound of her parents hailing their girl, Just the rumbling waters of the Yellow River. She leaves the Yellow River at dawn, To reach the Black Mountains by dusk. No sound of her parents hailing their girl, Just the cries of barbarian cavalry in the Yan hills. Ten thousand miles she rode in war, Crossing passes and mountains as if on a wing. On the northern air comes the sentry's gong, Cold light shines on her coat of steel. The general dead after a hundred battles, The warriors return after ten years. They return to see the Son of Heaven, Who sits in the Hall of Brilliance. The rolls of merit spin a dozen times, Rewards in the hundreds and thousands. The khan asks her what she desires, 'I've no need for the post of a gentleman official, I ask to borrow a camel fleet of foot, To carry me back to my hometown.' Her parents hearing their girl returns, Out to the suburbs to welcome her back. Elder sister hearing her sister returns, Adjusts her rouge by the doorway. Little brother hearing his sister returns, Sharpens his knife for pigs and lamb. 'I open my east chamber door, And sit on my west chamber bed. I take off my battle cloak, And put on my old-time clothes. I adjust my wispy hair at the window sill, And apply my bisque makeup by the mirror. I step out to see my comrades-in-arms, They are all surprised and astounded: 'We travelled twelve years together, Yet didn't realize Mulan was a lady!'' The male rabbit is swifter of foot, The eyes of the female are somewhat smaller. But when the two rabbits run side by side, How can you tell the female from the male?" ~Ally
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